MINISTRIES IN THE COMMUNITY

Caring for one another is at the heart of Spirit of Peace. As a gathered community, most of our caring happens spontaneously and informally. But, we also organize into Ministries as a way to channel members' time, talents and interests toward larger community issues.
We have six Ministries: 

• Care and Invitation
• Worship and Spiritual Life
• Education
• Social Action
• Building and Grounds
• Stewardship and Fundraising

Want to learn more about our Ministries and congregation in action?

Click here to read our newsletter, The Peace Post.

 

Just as each person is on an individual spiritual journey, each person lives out his or her Christian call to peace, justice and reconciliation in individual ways. At Spirit of Peace UCC, we attempt to be a place of support as you live out your ministry in action.  As a congregation, we reach out through the global church by participating in five special offerings:

• Strengthen the Church
• Neighbors in Need
• The Christmas Fund
• One Great Hour of Sharing
• Our Church's Wider Mission

As a congregation, we reach out in a variety of ways locally. Ministry activities include: 

• Community Church Outreach Organization
• Habitat for Humanity
• The Banquet
• purchase of books and scholarships for our Sudanese young men
• hurricane relief
• Darfur relief
• Sudanese computer training assistance
• Sharing the Dream Guatemala Project
• Fair Trade coffee sales
• AIDS walk lunch
• seminary support
• Senior Companion Program
• Heifer International

Every year brings new ministry opportunities.

To Top

STILL SPEAKING

We are not alone. Jesus meant it when he said he'd be here whenever two or three gathered in his name.

 

God is not dead. God is still speaking.
  
"I have so much more to say to you..."
John 16:12 (NIV)

 

“God is still speaking,”...
When there is no word but chaos, God whispers, "Let there be."

When the world says, "slavery," God says, "I don't think so."

When the people say, "There is no more to learn about God," God says, "This is my son."

When people say, "God has spoken, there is no more to learn about God," God takes a deep, patient breath, and says,...

When the Disciples said, "We can't go on without you!" Jesus said, "I will be with you always."

When the Church said, "There is only one way," the Reformers said, "Maybe not..."

To Top

What does the comma mean?

• God didn't stop speaking at the end of the Bible. God has more to say.
• God is still trying to get my attention, trying to get me to look, to feel, to listen.
• God speaks through other people, nature, music, art, and the Bible.
• God is still speaking through the life and teachings of Jesus today. Our faith is over 2,000 years old, but our thinking is not.

We're all on a continuous journey. God accepts us no matter where we are on that journey.

It's time to move beyond the worries of money, family, employment, retirement and instead to a God who is real and alive and isn't finished with me yet.

Do you think your church is pretty great? Spread the word.
Most of us talk about our church only to other members. If you found a great restaurant, would you tell others about it? If you read a good book or saw a good movie, would you share your opinion? So why not spread the word about your church?

 

If your church adds value to your life, share it! 

To Top

14 Ways to Say “I Love My Church”

1. I love my church because it’s sort of like the Wizard of Oz—it’s about having a heart and a brain. And courage!
2. I love my church because when we cried together on Sept. 11th, we cried for the whole world.
3. I love my church because the Sunday school teacher gives out prizes to the child who asks the best questions.
4. You know, if you want a church where you can pretend for an hour or two that everything is just fine with you, with your family, and with the world, then we’re probably not for you. But if you want a church where you can tell the truth about how it is and know that it’s okay, maybe you’ll find a home here.
5. What I love about the UCC is that it’s about Jesus—not just Jesus who’s on our side, but Jesus who calls us to walk by his side.
6. I’m single and I love my church because it’s the only place I don’t feel like I need to buy a family size to belong.
7. What I love most about my church is that it’s a place where we feel free to “think out loud together.”
8. I love my church because they make space for wheelchairs in the sanctuary, and care enough to have hearing devices for people who need them.
9. You know why I love my church? Because for one hour every week I get reminded that life is more than getting up and going to work, dealing with problems, and worrying about everything under the sun.
10. I love the United Church of Christ because we’re giraffes not turtles; we aren’t afraid to stick our necks out. We ordained the first African-American in the 18th century, the first woman in the 19th century, and the first gay man in the 20th century! That helps me stick my neck out and take a risk every now and then.
11. I love my church because the sermons make me think about things I would probably never normally think about.
12. I love my church because when we get together we aren’t afraid of sharing our feelings. A few years ago we voted on whether or not to move the whole congregation to a new building. People of all ages shared how they felt, and nobody was mean.
13. Why I love my church? Just last Sunday a little girl, maybe four, walked by herself across the aisle, left her parents, and climbed into the lap of a woman who is 83 years old and who lives alone.
14. Why do I love the UCC? Because it’s not just about believing in Christ, it’s about following Jesus!

To Top

What about you? Why do you love your church?
Here are some of the times and places when you might tell someone about your church:

• At the soccer game or swim practice
• In the emergency room waiting area
• On the golf course
• At dog obedience class
• At the gym
• At a neighbor’s barbecue
• On a fishing trip
• At a block party
• At the barber shop
• At your book club meeting
• On the playground
• While getting your nails done
• At the donut shop
• At Happy Hour
• At a School Board meeting
• At the unemployment office
• At the country club
• At Open House at school
• At yoga class

To Top

The Comma is a Reminder
The comma reminds me of our ancestors who fled religious oppression. As they listened to God they heard a call to reform the church and work for a world with religious freedom. They set us on a continuously expanding path of understanding that all people are loved by God and should be treated with dignity and respect.

 

The comma reminds me of an unusual religious freedom we celebrate at my church--
the freedom and responsibility to engage the Bible with our own unique experiences, questions and ideas. We don't leave our brains at the door; we're expected to bring them to church.

 

My church gave me this comma, reminding me to balance our rich religious past with openness to new ideas, people, and possibilities of the future. I believe that God is still speaking, and this comma reminds me to be hopeful. Sometimes we all need that. As I imagine the future, and all the problems big and small, I remember that God will be with me.

To Top

The Comma Means Continuity
The UCC is a church of many "firsts." Ours was the first historically white denomination to ordain an African-American (in the 18th century), the first in the modern era to ordain a woman (in the 19th century), and the first to ordain an openly gay man (in the 20th century).

We were in the forefront of the anti-slavery movement. We founded the first institutions of higher learning in America (Harvard, Yale) and were among the first to establish schools and colleges for newly freed slaves (Fisk, Dillard). We were early leaders in the Social Gospel movement, taking seriously Jesus' commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself."  We brought to North America the concept of freedom of the press; today, the Pilgrim Press is the oldest publishing house in the U.S. We published the first book in what would become the United States (The Bay Psalm Book) and the first (and only) Christian hymnal that honors in equal measure both male and female images of God.

Go to www.stillspeaking.com for further information on these and many other UCC “firsts.”

To Top

CARE AND INVITATION MINISTRY
This ministry focuses on attracting and welcoming new members and on facilitating relationships between all members of the congregation. This ministry team offers opportunities for members of the congregation to spend time together outside of worship in various fellowship activities.   

WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL LIFE MINISTRY
The worship life of the congregation is central to the existence, both shaping and nurturing the congregation's understanding of itself. The Worship and Spiritual Life Ministry works with the pastors to help people experience a deeper relationship with God through worship. They work to provide a rich worship life of the highest quality, including administration of the sacraments of baptism and communion.

EDUCATION MINISTRY
Members of the Education Ministry design and guide a total education program that meets church members' needs and fits with the church's educational and theological principles. Christian Education emphasizes spiritual growth, at the same time asserting that the spiritual is not separate from the intellectual, emotional, ethical, and social components of life.

To Top

SOCIAL ACTION MINISTRY
This ministry provides leadership to the congregation to support members in serving the world outside our walls. Through their education efforts, the congregation is encouraged to engage the contemporary world to promote human rights, justice and peace. They coordinate mission projects, educational opportunities and the raising of funds for special endeavors.

BUILDING AND GROUNDS MINISTRY
The church is, most of all, its members attempting to live their faith and gathering as a community to worship. Although the church is not a building, the church's building provides a place for many activities of the church. The Building and Grounds Ministry lovingly maintains the church building and its grounds.

STEWARDSHIP AND FUNDRAISING
The Stewardship and Fundraising Committee leads our annual stewardship drive and capital campaigns. They plan creative fundraisers for a wide range of projects, promote stewardship education and assist members with long-range giving plans.

To Top

SUDANESE LOST BOYS
Chol Andria and Jacob Lual are Sudanese young men who are members of Spirit of Peace. They arrived in Sioux Falls in 2001 as part of a group of boys known as the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Thousands of children lost their families, their homes, and sometimes their entire villages when conflicts in Sudan swept over their land in 1987. Often without adults to guide them, children walked across the savannahs to refugee camps in Ethiopia. Many starved along the way; others were killed by wild animals or drowned in crocodile-infested rivers.   

Chol was 5 or 6 years old when he was separated from his family in a raid. Jacob was 2 years old when his villa was attacked, and a 12-year-old cousin managed to get him and five other young children to Ethiopia. Four years later, soldiers forced the refugees from the camp at gunpoint after a coup in Ethiopia. They fled on foot again, toward Kenya, and again survived the lack of food and water, as well as bombings from the air.   

Of the 40,000 children driven out of Ethiopia, only about 26,000 survived the trek to Kakuma Refugee Camp in the Kenyan desert. Here they lived for nine years. They were taught that their new family would be education, but their hopes for education were as thin as they were, until they were resettled in the United States. 

Chol Andria and Jacob Lual are two of the “Lost Boys” who have found their home with us, the congregation of Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ. They came to us as friends of one of our youth members who was their tutor at Lincoln High School. Now in college, we’re delighted and amazed as we watch these two young men of the congregation support themselves and pursue their education. We’re proud of their resilience and maturity. 

Gifts to the Sudanese Lost Boys’ Scholarship Fund, and their Special Needs Fund, help with college tuition and other necessities, e.g. medical care. Gift cards are available if you wish to give a gift to the Sudanese Scholarship Fund in honor or memory of someone special.   

Please contact the church office for more information, or to make a donation and receive a gift card suitable to send to the recipient of your honor. Christmas Gift Cards are especially popular and are updated each year.   

There is also a program for persons who wish to become Chol and Jacob’s Extended Family by making a small monthly donation during the 9-month school year, so that the church can provide a monthly stipend. This enables the young men to work fewer hours at their jobs and spend more time on their studies. For more information about this program, contact Pastor Kathy.

To Top

LABYRINTH
Walking a Path to God
The labyrinth is a mysterious, ancient symbol that has been used for more than 4,000 years in cultures that long pre-date Christianity. The labyrinth at Spirit of Peace UCC is a reproduction of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth near Paris, France, which was constructed in 1200 C.E. when Christians walked labyrinths as a spiritual practice. 

Walking the labyrinth is a form of body prayer, a walking meditation. The path of the labyrinth symbolizes each person’s life and spiritual path. There are twists and turns, just as life brings changes and transitions. Sometimes when you think you’re closest to the center, you’re the farthest away, and when it seems like you’re farthest away, you’re almost there. 

 

Unlike a maze, which has dead ends and wrong turns, the labyrinth is one continuous path that leads unerringly to the center. You don’t have to think about where you’re going, so the left brain – that part of your mind that likes to worry about the future and decide where you’re going next – is free to relax. 

Walking the labyrinth is more about the journey than a destination, as one’s mind is quieted and becomes receptive. Rev. Lauren Artress, who has led the resurgence of labyrinths in the U.S. writes, “To walk a sacred path is to discover our inner sacred space…walking the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the spiritual journey. The labyrinth provides the sacred space where the inner and outer worlds can commune, where the thinking mind and imaginative heart can flow together.” Saint Augustine knew something of this when he said, “It is solved by walking.”

To Top

Walking the Labyrinth
It is helpful to prepare to walk the labyrinth by thinking of your walk in three parts:

1. Journeying In - at the entrance of the labyrinth, details of everyday life are shed. As you walk, let go of expectations. There is no right or wrong way to walk so go at your own pace and let your mind be receptive.
2. Resting in the Center - pause to rest here. There may be a moment of inspiration - this is your center, and it is really The Center, in which all meet as One in Spirit.
3. Journeying Out - the outward path symbolizes your reentering the world, with new awareness. Often the journey will be a time of integration and understanding. Keep in mind that the journey out from the center is the same distance as the journey in, and you have to come out. The labyrinth journey is not about escaping into the center and leaving the world. It is about experiencing Spirit in the center so that you can go out into the world with a blessing.

The Intuitive Mind
One way that God’s guidance comes, perhaps, is through patterns and symbols that communicate sacred meaning. Labyrinths are one of these universal patterns that arise from what psychologist Carl Jung called the collective unconscious. Such patterns have appeared throughout history, not only in religious symbolism but also in dreams, art, and traditional stories. Like other symbols and religious rituals, the labyrinth doesn’t engage our thinking minds, explains Artress. Instead, “it invites our intuitive, pattern-seeking, symbolic mind to come forth.” The labyrinth’s benefits thus do not require great concentration. Think of it as simply being open to listen for whatever comes. If it is helpful, you may want to repeat a mantra, such as “Lead me,” or “Be still and know that I am God.”

Walking Alone or With Other People
You can walk the labyrinth alone, with another person, or with a group. Lee Stokes Hilton writes, “Each kind of walk carries its own blessings—walking at dawn, walking at night, walking alone or with others. You get a sense of connection and yet no connection – like the proverbial ships passing in the night. You are close to the other person, then you are far apart. You are on your own path; you are on the same path. Maybe you’ll walk faster than the people in front of you; feel free to pass around them. Or maybe you’ll take their presence as a reminder to slow down in life, to pace yourself.”

Growing Use of Labyrinths

Labyrinths are being built all over the world today, in churches, retreat centers, health centers, retirement communities, hospitals and schools. Medical professionals know that positive patient feelings and attitudes contribute to better health and faster recovery rates. Because labyrinth walking promotes relaxation, deeper breathing, and a release of stress, the Medical Center of Central Georgia uses theirs in cardiac rehab. At California Pacific Medical Center, surgeons sometimes walk the labyrinth to calm themselves before an operation. Mid-Columbia Medical Center in Oregon uses its labyrinth to complement the use of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer treatment. Patients are encouraged to center themselves before treatment, and to relax after receiving treatment. Research conducted at Harvard Medical School's Mind/Body Medical Institute found that focused walking meditations are helpful in reducing anxiety, lowering breathing and heart rates, moderating incidents of chronic pain and insomnia, and lowering elevated blood pressure. Hospices are beginning to use labyrinths for stress reduction, relaxation and stillness, in programs dealing with AIDS and cancer, and in relieving grief or loss. In cases where outer healing fails, inner healing can still take place.  

To Top

Resources:
www.labyrinthproject.com

www.gracecathedral.org,

www.labyrinthsociety.org